Ringing watch piece



19'57 JEAN -CLAUDE SCHNEEDER 3,352,102

RINGING WATCH PIECE I Filed Sept. 15, 1965 gl m, flfmw United StatesPatent 3,352,102 RINGING WATCH PIECE Jean-Claude Schneider, LaChaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, assignor to Fabrique dHorlogerie 'Chs.Tissot et Fiis S.A., Neuchatel, Switzerland Filed Sept. 13, 1965, Ser.No. 486,709

Claims priority, application Switzerland, Oct. 8, 1964,

7 Claims. (Cl. 58-53) The present invention relates to a ringing watchpiece comprising a case and a removable frame located within said caseand carrying a movement and a ringing mechamsm.

The invention more particularly refers to the manufacture and to theassembling of watch pieces of this type and proposes a rationalizedstructural arrangement affording for a simplification and for anacceleration not only of the manufacture of the different elements ofthe Watch piece, but in addition also of their assembling.

A further object of the invention, moreover, is to realize a watchpiece, the essential parts of the movement of which are housed within anentirely closed enclosure and are efficiently protected against anypenetration of dust.

To this end the ringing watch piece according to the present inventionis characterized in that the case comprises a front wall provided with aglass, and a side wall, and in that partition elements, adapted to thedimensions of said side wall of the case and carried by the removableframe form, the rear wall of the watch piece.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe description now to follow, of a preferred embodiment thereof, givenby way of example only, and in which reference will be made to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic axial section of this embodiment, with theparts of the movement removed, and

FIG. 2 is a top view showing a detail of a portion of this watch piece.

The watch piece illustrated in the drawing is a carriageclock with alarmmechanism, of general circular shape, adapted to be placed on a piece offurniture in a position approximately vertical.

The elements of the movement (not shown) of the watch piece are carriedby a frame constituted by three elements, namely a dial 1, abottom-plate 2 and a back 3. The dial 1 is a molded or injection mouldedpiece of synthetical material made of one piece with a lateral wall 4attached to the periphery of the dial on the whole circumferencethereof. This side wall has a shoulder 4a extending over its entirelength and against which bears the periphery of the plate 2. The latterin this manner is maintained at a determined distance from the dial 1.It is centered by the rim of the shoulder 4a. Lateral catches 5 oftrapezoidal form project from at least two points of the periphery ofthe plate 2. To these catches correspond, in the wall 4, resilientelements 7 shaped as hooks adapted to be attached each to one of thecatches 5 so as to removably retain the plate 2 bearing against theshoulder 40. The hooks 7 are made of one piece with the dial 1 in themolding thereof. They are seperated from the wall 4 by openings 6leaving at the outside of the wall only a thin resiliently deformableelement. The presence of the catches 5 also affords for an orientationof the plate with respect to the dial.

The plate 2 and the dial 1 define a housing '8 of cylindrical shapewhich is entirely closed and which comsequently cannot be penetrated bydust. This housing is destined to receive the most delicate parts of themovement of the watch piece, more particularly the wheels and theregulating device. The going barrel is placed within another housingdescribed hereinafter.

This second housing is mainly delimited by the plate 2 and by the back3. These are both metallic pieces, however the back 3 carries pillars 9of synthetic material the upper ends of which present two catches 10which are deformable so that they can be engaged into correspondingopenings 11 of the plate 2 in order to ensure the fixation of the back 3to the plate 2. In addition to the barrel, the elements of the ringingmechanism are also lodged and secured between the frame elements 2 and3. The described watch piece further comprises a bell 12 made of aswaged, circular, sheet metal piece secured by appropriate means, suchas screw 30, to the rear face of the back 3. The lateral wall of thisbell extends in direction of the plate 2 about the back 3. As to thecase Of the described watch piece it is constituted of one sole elementmade of one piece with a glass 14. This element has the shape of acylindrical dome made of a transparent synthetic material such as thematerial known under the Trademark Plexiglas and the outer surface ofwhich carries a metallized layer 14 which covers the lateral wall of thecase 13 and a portion of its front face thus forming the ring usuallyholding the glass. The portion of this element which is left free by themetallic layer forms the glass. It is circular but excentric withrespect to the dome 13.

The portion 14, which forms the glass of the described watch piece, isslightly domed and fits an inner peripherical shoulder 16 of annularshape which limits the inner face of the case 13 and against which bearsthe periphery of the dial 1. The frame of the movement is secured to thecase by means of three resilient elements 17 forming tongues extendingobliquely to the exterior from the base of the lateral wall 4 of thedial, and which are equally distributed over the circumference of thiswall. The free ends of these tongues 17 are engaged by notches 18 formedby elements of the wall 13, The notch 18, which is visible on FIG. 1, isformed in a thickening of triangular shape of said wall at the pointwhere it is nearest to the wall 4. This triangular thickening forms twostands 19. on which the watch rests. The wall 13 is provided between thestands 19, with an opening 20 engaged by the tongues 17. The othernotches 18 being situated in a visible portion of the wall 13 extendonly to the interior of this wall, which thus does not have anycorresponding opening. In order to put in place the frame of themovement it is sufiicient to engage this frame from the back into thedome 13. The tongues 17 will then engage the notches 18. In order toremove the frame the tongue 17 situated between the stands 19 is pushedtowards the interior, whereafter the movement may be extractedobliquely.

Once the movement is in place its axis coincides with that of the glass14. To ensure the centering of the movement the wall 13, in the zoneextending between the catches 17 and the resilient members 7, isprovided with prolongations 21 terminated by flanges 22. These flangesin plan have the shape of crescents and their dimensions are deter-minedso that they fit with small play within the lateral wall 13 of the case.Thus the watch piece is closed to the rear by the rear faces of theflanges 22 and by the base of the bell 12.

The dial 1 is provided with an opening 23 for the passage of the shaftcarrying the hands of the movements. Through this opening the housing 8communicates with a housing which also is entirely closed and delimitedby the dial and the glass, and which serves to receive the hands.

The plate 2 is also provided with openings (not shown) opening into thehousing delimited by the back 3. These openings serve for the passage ofshafts connecting the barrel with the wheels of the movements and withthe control members for the hands and for the regulation.

The Winding of the barrel may be effected by means of a membertraversing an opening in the back 3 and a corresponding opening inelement 12, and actuating the barrel, since the latter is arrangedbetween the parts 2 and 3.

In the described arrangement the dial with its wall 4 and the plate 2delimit an entirely closed housing ensuring excellent tightness of thishousing against dust penetration. Moreover the described watch piece isof an extremely simplified assembling, since as well the assembling ofthe parts of the frame as also that of the case itself may be effectedby engagement against an abutment surface and locking by resilientmembers.

Instead of being made of one piece with the glass 14 the case 13 couldalso be manufactured in two pieces one, forming the lateral wall of thecase, being of non-transparent material, for example metal. The case 13could also be entirely transparent the outer face of the wall with theprolongations 21 being provided with decorations which could then beseen in transparence. Instead of a decoration carried by the lateralwall of the dial it would also be possible to arrange in the spacebetween the wall 13 and the wall 4 decorating elements such as forexample figurines.

Finally, instead of securing the plate 2 to the dial 1 and the frame tothe case by means of resilient elements such as has been described,these connections could also be realized by screws or rivets.

Moreover the lateral wall of the dial 1, instead of being provided withseveral notches 18 distributed over its periphery, could be provided ina modification only with one such notch engaged between the stands ofthe case as represented on the drawing. At its upper portiondiametrically opposite to the notch 18 the said wall would then beprovided with a lateral projection provided with an opening for thepassage of a control button, for example the stop button of the ringing.A circular housing made in the wall of the case and the base of whichwould be provided with an opening for the passage of this control buttonwould receive the said projection in the assembling of the movement tothe case. The locking of the movement would then be realized by means ofthe notch 18.

The described Watch piece, owing to its construction making use ofmolded pieces for the frame elements and for the case, affords for greatvariations in its outer shape, such as square-shape, circular shape,asymmetrical shape or fancy shape. All these elements could of coursealso be realized by other process, for example by sintering.

I claim:

1. F or use in an alarm clock including a movement and a ringingmechanism; the combination comprising an external case including a frontwall which is at least partially transparent and a side wall projectingfrom the periphery of the front wall to define therewith a chamber, amultipiece frame received in said chamber of the case, means removablyfixing said frame with respect to said side wall of the case, said frameincluding three overlying plates including a dial plate engaged againstthe front wall of the case, an intermediately positioned movement plateand means securing said movement plate to said dial plate to define acompartment for receiving a portion of the movement of a clock, and arear plate spaced from the side of the movement plate opposite the dialplate to define with the movement plate a space for receiving theringing mechanism and barrel of a clock, and a dome shaped bell in thecase overlying and surrounding said rear plate and attached to said rearplate to substantially close the case at its end opposite said frontwall.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said dial plate has anintegral annular side wall having at its free end an annular shoulderreceiving peripheral portions of said movement plate, and wherein saidmeans fixing said movement plate to said dial plate includes a number ofresilient hook-shaped elements integrally formed at the periphery ofsaid dial plate side wall, said elements having a hook portion overlyingand engaging the peripheral portions of said movement plate to pressthem against said shoulder in said dial plate.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said peripheral portionsof said movement plate engaged by said hook portions are tabs integralwith said movement plate and projecting outwardly therefrom.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said means securing theframe to said case side Wall includes integral resilient tonguesprojecting from the periphery of said dial plate and a number of notchesformed in said case side Wall and removably receiving said tongues.

5. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said frame iseccentrically mounted with respect to the case, and the combinationfurther including a number of elongated members of variable widthinserted between the side walls of the case and the periphery of theframe to insure eccentric positioning of the frame in the case.

6. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein said elongated members arefixed to the side wall of the case.

7. The combination defined in claim 6 wherein said case has a flatannular shoulder formed about the front wall of the case and whereinsaid dial plate is pressed against said fiat annular shoulder of thecase.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 520,979 6/ 1894 Baird 58--553,237,393 3/1966 Ziegler et al 5853 FOREIGN PATENTS 727,118 3/1932France. 791,196 2/ 1958 Great Britain.

STEPHEN J. TOMSKY, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, GERALD F. BAKER,

Examiners.

L. MICHAEL LORCH, Assistant Examiner.

1. FOR USE IN AN ALARM CLOCK INCLUDING A MOVEMENT AND A RINGINGMECHANISM; THE COMBINATION COMPRISING AN EXTERNAL CASE INCLUDING A FRONTWALL WHICH IS AT LEAST PARTIALLY TRANSPARENT AND A SIDE WALL PROJECTINGFROM THE PERIPHERY OF THE FRONT WALL TO DEFINE THEREWITH A CHAMBER, AMULTIPIECE FRAME RECEIVED IN SAID CHAMBER OF THE CASE, MEANS REMOVABLYFIXING SAID FRAME WITH RESPECT TO SAID SIDE WALLS OF THE CASE, SAIDFRAME INCLUDING THREE OVERLYING PLATES INCLUDING A DIAL PLATE ENGAGEDAGAINST THE FRONT WALL OF THE CASE, AN INTERMEDIATELY POSITIONEDMOVEMENT PLATE AND MEANS SECURING SAID MOVEMENT PLATE TO SAID DIAL PLATETO DEFINE A COMPARTMENT FOR RECEIVING A PORTION OF THE MOVEMENT OF ACLOCK, AND A REAR PLATE SPACED FROM THE SIDE OF THE MOVEMENT PLATEOPPOSITE THE DIAL PLATE TO DEFINE WITH THE MOVEMENT PLATE A SPACE FORRECEIVING THE RINGING MECHANISM AND BARREL OF A CLOCK, AND A DOME SHAPEDBELL IN THE CASE OVERLYING AND SURROUNDING SAID REAR PLATE AND ATTACHEDTO SAID REAR PLATE TO SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSE THE CASE AT ITS END OPPOSITESAID FRONT WALL.